The present invention relates to a utility pad for mounting air conditioner condensers and the like, and more particularly, to an improved utility pad with mounting features provided for an integrated security cage.
It is typical to install air conditioner condensers and other outdoor equipment atop utility pads in order to comply with regulations mandating that such equipment must be elevated to a specified minimum height above the adjoining grade. The heights specified by these regulations can range from 2 inches up to 3½ A inches. While the utility pads that exist to meet them vary extensively in both material composition and configuration, they have several inherent deficiencies. For example, most plastic pads lack sufficient strength to prevent cracking and UV degradation and are prone to sink to the ground over time. Pre-manufactured concrete composite pads tend to break during transportation and installation, their cementious exterior is susceptible to cracking from moisture penetration and vibration, and their inherent weight renders them difficult to handle and install by one person. Custom-poured concrete slabs require significant time and effort to prepare and construct, and take many hours to cure completely. There is no known pre-manufactured utility pad that offers the handling and installation advantages of lightweight construction without significantly compromising structural integrity.
Another increasingly common trend pertaining to outdoor air conditioner condensers is the installation of lockable security cages. These cages are designed to deter and/or prevent the theft of the copper tubing and other valuable components that can be found inside an air conditioner condenser. While most are comprised of hollow square steel tubing, security cages span a wide range of shapes, sizes, and levels of complexity. Their most prevalent deficiencies are their weak thin-walled structure, tedious and time-consuming installation, and lack of maintenance access. There are no known security cages that combine robust construction with simple, rapid installation. Furthermore, despite the broad assortment of utility pads and security cages, and that they are invariably affixed together, there are no known utility pads that incorporate mounting features for a corresponding integrated security cage, and inversely, there are no known security cages that incorporate mounting features for a corresponding, integrated utility pad.
An object of the present invention is to provide a utility pad that incorporates mounting features for a corresponding integrated security cage. In a currently preferred embodiment, the utility pad is formed from a lightweight composite material capable of withstanding the conditions of an outdoor environment and has sufficient strength to support an air conditioner condenser or similar equipment in an elevated position. Further included in the pad are recesses that allow concrete blocks or another type of ballast to be housed within and secured to the pad to increase the pad's total mass. This allows the pad to be easily installed by a single person and meet wind speed regulations applicable in specified areas of certain coastal states while retaining the benefits of its lightweight composition in areas without wind speed regulations. Further included in the pad is a horizontal perimeter flange to reduce the total soil bearing pressure from the equipment and the pad to prevent sinking. Finally included in the pad are multiple cavities designed to receive and secure mounting features for use with a corresponding, integrated security cage. The amount and spacing of these cavities allow the pad's mounting features to be installed such that the length and width of the security cage can be adjusted to best conform to the length and width of the particular equipment installed to the pad.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide at least four mounting features on or within the utility pad to receive and secure a corresponding, integrated security cage. The pad's mounting features are configured to nest inside of those pad cavities that best conform to the length and width of the particular equipment installed to the pad. The pad's mounting features are also configured such that neither they nor the security cage can be easily removed when the cage is set in its locked configuration. The pad's mounting features advantageously facilitate simple, rapid removal of the security cage once the cage is unlocked without interfering with the equipment or the surrounding environment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a security cage that incorporates mounting features for a corresponding integrated utility pad. In a currently preferred embodiment, the cage is comprised of a series of solid steel, or equivalent high strength material, bars to provide superior cutting resistance than conventional hollow tubing provides. These bars are protected with an anti-corrosion coating to inhibit rust formation. Included in the security cage of the present invention are at least four lower bars that extend vertically upward from the base and incorporate mounting features that are configured such that neither the cage nor the utility pad's mounting features can be easily removed when the cage is set in its locked configuration. The cage's mounting features are also configured to facilitate simple, rapid installation and removal of the security cage when it is unlocked without interfering with the equipment or the surrounding environment. Further included in the cage are at least four upper bars that are attached to the lower bars and extend vertically upward before bending toward the center of the pad to enclose the equipment. The cage's upper bars contain multiple connection points to allow its length, width, and height to be adjusted to best conform to the length, width, and height of the particular equipment installed to the pad, and are secured to the lower bars with security fasteners. The cage also includes a locking mechanism located at the central junction of the upper bars that allows for simple, rapid addition and removal of the locking mechanism and acts to reduce overall looseness by tightening the bars when the cage is set in its locked configuration.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide retaining sleeves that can be attached to the aforementioned utility pad's mounting features. The pad's mounting features are configured such that they can be easily attached to any existing utility pad by simply changing the type of fasteners used. In this condition, the pad's mounting features rest above the existing pad's top surface, since existing pads do not contain the aforementioned cavities that allow the pad's mounting features to nest inside. The retaining sleeves are designed to allow the pad's mounting features to nest inside thereby allowing the security cage to function effectively when installed to existing utility pads.